(groans) I don't have time for this! (Peridot's fingers rearrange into a blaster, from which a small energy ball begins to form.) This planet has an expiration date, and I'm not gonna stick around to find out when!

(Peridot fires the energy shot, but the force of the blast knocks Peridot over. The shot misses its target, but hits a nearby pillar, causing it to fall over.)

Pearl

Wha—!?

(Steven activates his shield, protecting the group from the falling debris. Pearl turns around and glares at Peridot, who is still on the ground.)

Peridot

(looks at her blaster, then back at Pearl) Uh... (laughs nervously)

(Pearl charges at Peridot with her spear.)

Pearl

That's it! I'm taking her out!

Garnet

Pearl, wait!

(Peridot fires a lime-colored beam which surrounds Pearl in a green circular shape, immobilizing her entirely. Peridot then begins to swing her around.)

Peridot

Ha! Sorry, but you're going the wrong way!

(Peridot throws Pearl back, where she collides with Steven and thus causes his shield to disappear. Garnet holds the debris with her gauntlets.)

Garnet

(to Amethyst) Get her!

(Amethyst charges at Peridot, using her spin dash attack. Peridot jumps out of the way, causing Amethyst to crash into the pile of rubble that Peridot was moving earlier. Amethyst's head pops out of the pile, and she shakes off the dust, growling. Peridot tauntingly scuttles away on her fingers.)

Peridot

Hahahaha, you missed.

[Shift to Pearl and Steven still on the ground]

(Pearl is on top of Steven.)

Steven

Pearl!

Pearl

Huh?

(Steven nudges Pearl off of him and chases after Peridot. Peridot hops on one of the warps, only to find that it doesn't work.)

Peridot

AGH! Doesn't anything work on this cruddy planet!?

Steven

I do!

(Steven forms his shield again and tosses it at Peridot like a frisbee.)

Peridot

Huh? (The shield hits her in the head.) OW!

Garnet

(tosses a large piece of the pillar) Amethyst, catch!

('Amethyst grabs the pillar with her whip, and hurls it at Peridot.)

Amethyst

Destroy!

(The pillar smashes into the warp, completely destroying it, and the force of the impact launches Peridot into the air.)

Peridot

Waaaah!

Pearl

(chasing after Peridot, with arms outstretched) I got her, I got her, I got her!

(Garnet removes her gauntlets and begins to move backwards to try and catch Peridot. Pearl and Garnet collide into each other, while Peridot manages to avoid landing on them through use of her helicopter fingers.)

Okay, I realize that was a bit of a fiasco. But there's a silver lining to this! (Pearl walks off the Warp Pad and towards Peridot's escape pod, which is hooked up to the Warp Pad.) Now we know for sure that we can track her every movement! Whenever she uses the warp system, her escape pod will instantly detect exactly where she is. It's only a matter of time until we catch her, and when we do, we'll be able to close this chapter and finally move on! *turning to Garnet* Right?

(Garnet remains quiet as Pearl waits for a response, noticeably apprehensive. Steven and Amethyst appear tense. The silence lasts for some time.)

Amethyst

*sighs heavily* Look, isn't there something that maybe the two of you might need to talk about?

It's Peridot. She's using the warps right now. (Pearl projects a globe from her gem, a marker displayed around northern South America.) Look! This is where she is. We got her for sure this time. (Pearl starts walking towards the Warp Pad). If she thinks she's got the upper hand, then she's got another thing coming. And that's us!

('Garnet follows Pearl to the warp, still seemingly tense.)

Steven

Well... at least Pearl's optimistic.

Amethyst

It won't help. She can hand Peridot over on a silver platter, but it won't make up for the stunt she pulled to get Garnet to fuse with her.

(Amethyst walks to the warp, while Steven stands there, in contemplation.)

(Steven and the Gems warp in, near an abandoned gem ship located deep in a jungle.)

Steven

Woah...

Pearl

Ha! She's desperate. Look at this! She's cornered herself in there!

Garnet

Mmm.

Pearl

We've got her just where we want her.

Steven

What is—?

Pearl

*excitedly* Excellent question, Steven! What we see before us is an ancient interplanetary Gem vessel. (Pearl projects a depiction of the ships approaching and landing on Earth from her gem.) Homeworld Gems used these ships to travel across the cosmos and land here on Earth before the warp pads were built. But these ships landed here so long ago that there's no way they can be functional. Peridot's running out of options!

Garnet

Pearl! We can't waste time, let's focus on the task at—

Pearl

(running ahead) Ah, yes! The task at hand! No more dawdling, let's go get Peridot!

(Steven and Amethyst look at each other apprehensively, before the group heads into the ship, where Pearl takes the lead. The inside of the ship is revealed to be full of plant life, showing its age. The group approaches the ship's control panel.)

Steven

It's more like a greenhouse than a spaceship.

Amethyst

Looks like Earth won this battle.

(Suddenly, the Gem projector on the control panel activates. The group stops in their tracks, as the projector reveals Peridot's face.)

Peridot

(laughing) You Gems really are as dull as dirt!

Pearl

You're the dull one if you think you can fly this wreck!

(Peridot stays silent for a moment. Pearl's voice vaguely echoes in the background.)

Peridot

... What? Can you speak louder? Some of these communicators are gunked up.

(Steven grabs one of the microphones, brushes the plants off of it, and speaks into it.)

Steven

*clears throat* Pearl says, 'You're the dull one if you think you can fly this wreck!'

(laughs) Fly!? I'm not using this vessel to fly! I'm using it to trap you! ('The entryway to the ship suddenly closes behind them.') Isn't this nice... no more Crystal Gems running around, messing with my plans, destroying my things... looks like I've got you just where I want you. How does it feel to be so easily outsmarted, you clods!?

Pearl

No... !

Amethyst

*speaking into microphone* Hey, uh, this is Amethyst, I don't appreciate being called a clod, you clo—

(Steven and the Gems run around, trying to avoid the lasers. Steven manages to avoid them and forms his shield, forming an umbrella over him.)

Steven

Hey guys, over here!

(The Gems retreat under Steven's shield, while Garnet manages to spot a way out of the room.)

Garnet

This way!

(The group heads towards the hallway, the shield protecting them from the lasers, which bounce off harmlessly. The group manages to make it to safety, only for Steven's shield to disappear and for Steven to collapse in exhaustion.)

Amethyst

You're on fire, Steven!

Steven

*sighs* That's three shields in one day! Not too sha—

(Suddenly, spikes appear all around the hallway, almost hitting Steven. The Gems manage to dodge them.)

Garnet

Move!

(Pearl and Garnet run ahead while Amethyst carries Steven. Peridot's voice can be heard in the background.)

Peridot

SPIKES! How do you like my spikes!?

("The group reaches the end of the hallway, encountering what appears to be Peridot.")

Pearl

PERIDOT! (Pearl attempts to charge at Peridot)

Garnet

Pearl, don't just... ! (growls in frustration)

(Pearl slashes at Peridot with her spear, only to find that it is merely a hologram. The hologram separates upon the hit, but reforms afterwards.)

Peridot

(offscreen) Heheheh, you idiot.

(Pearl, overcome with anger, repeatedly slices at the hologram. Garnet facepalms, and the group walks up to Pearl. Eventually tired out, Pearl gives up her effort, panting heavily.)

Garnet

Pearl, stop. That isn't helping.

Pearl

I have to do something! I can't believe I walked us right into Peridot's trap. This is all my... (The Peridot hologram suddenly disappears as the ship begins to shake furiously.) ... fault?

(The floor collapses into a funnel beneath the group, causing them all to fall. Steven falls past Amethyst, who forms two whips; one of them grabs Steven while the other grabs a loose twig on the roof of the ship.)

Amethyst

I got you Steven!

Steven

Thanks Amethyst! *gasps* Garnet and Pearl! Are you guys okay?

(Steven, hanging from the whip by his waist, looks down to see Garnet and Pearl at the bottom of the drop in a small chamber.)

Garnet

We're fine!

(Suddenly, the floor closes up above Garnet and Pearl, trapping them within the chamber.)

Amethyst

... Crud...

(Amethyst, retracting her whips and carrying Steven, slides down the walls and to the floor that had closed up above Garnet and Pearl. Amethyst and Steven see a television-like screen that shows Garnet and Pearl in the chamber. The two are frantically attacking the walls. Above the screen are three gears that are not moving.)

Steven

We gotta get 'em out! (Garnet continues punching at the walls with her gauntlets, while Pearl slashes at the walls with her spear.) Amethyst, what should we... !?

(Pearl starts talking, with Steven and Amethyst listening in through the screen's audio feed.)

Pearl

Garnet... I'm sorry!

Amethyst

*to Steven* Wait a sec.

Pearl

Things weren't supposed to turn out this way.

Garnet

*punches the wall one more time* We'll get out of here somehow.

Pearl

*sighs* That's not what I mean... I really wanted to catch Peridot to make up for what I did... (Garnet removes her gauntlets.) I wanted to prove to you that... that everything could go back to normal...

Garnet

Catching Peridot won't make things go back to normal. This isn't about Peridot.

Amethyst

Hey! They're actually talking!

Steven

Now they can finally work things out!

(Suddenly the gears start to activate and turn, causing the walls of the chamber that Garnet and Pearl are in to close in on them.)

Amethyst

Not if they get crushed!

(Garnet and Pearl start pushing on the walls, though this does not appear to do anything.)

Pearl

*panting* Please! Tell me! How can I make you forgive me!?

Garnet

You can't! You lied to me! You need to learn that there are consequences to your actions!

Pearl

I'm sorry! I... I couldn't help myself!

(Garnet kicks the wall on Pearl's side, in an attempt to slow the walls down.)

Garnet

I don't want to hear your excuses!

Pearl

But it's true! No matter how hard I try to be strong like you... I'm just a Pearl. I'm useless on my own. *starts to cry* I need someone to tell me what to do. (The walls suddenly stop moving. Amethyst pulls on her whip to bind two of the gears together, preventing them from turning. Steven pulls on Amethyst to provide support.) *holding her arms* ... When we fuse, I can feel what it's like to be you. Confident and secure, and complete. You're perfect. You're the perfect relationship, you're always together, I just... I wanted to be a part of that.

Garnet

You're wrong! I'm not as strong as you think! I fell apart over this. Ruby and Sapphire were in turmoil over how you deceived me. I came undone...

Amethyst

Woah, that really happened?

Steven

Hmm. *nods affirmatively*

Garnet

It's not easy being in control. I have weaknesses too. But I choose not to let them consume me. I struggle to stay strong because I know the impact I have on everyone. Please understand, Pearl. You have an impact too. There are times when I look up to you for strength. You are your own gem.You control your destiny. Not me, not Rose, not Steven. But you must choose to be strong, so we can move forward. So I can trust you again.

Pearl

... I understand. I can't give up anymore!

Garnet

Good! (At this moment, Amethyst's whip snaps and Steven and Amethyst fall backwards. The whip disappears and the gears begin to move again, causing the walls to close in on Garnet and Pearl once again.) Pearl, there's only one way out of this!

Pearl

Only if you're okay with it.

(Garnet nods affirmatively.)

Steven and Amethyst

*panicking, running back and forth* AAAH! What do we do, what do we do, what do we do!?

(The floor suddenly breaks open, as Sardonyx jumps out of the hole, using her war hammer as a drill. She immediately then unfuses into Garnet and Pearl. The two look at each other for a moment.)

[Trans. Int. Ancient Gem Colony Ship control bridge]

(Peridot is seen pushing various buttons. There are three projectors, two of which appear to show nothing but static, and the remaining one showing a map of the ship, though it flickers into static for moments at a time.)

Peridot

Urrgh, stupid button here, I don't know what anything is AGGGH! *raises her fists in frustration* Blast this old Gem tech! Where'd they go? Why isn't anything working!? (The wall behind her blasts open, through which Steven and the Gems enter.) Ahhh!

Garnet

Surrender, Peridot! You have nowhere to run!

Steven

The Crystal Gems are gonna get yoooou!

Peridot

You really think this is the end!? (Peridot forms her blaster and aims it at the Gems.) Hahahaha... this, this is only the beginning... of my escape! (Peridot points the blaster away from the Gems and at the ceiling. Peridot fires an energy blast at the ceiling and forms a large hole in the roof of the ship. Steven and the Gems are startled by the impact. Peridot begins laughing as she flies away with her helicopter fingers, towards the hole.) Well, I'd love to stick around and watch another one of your pathetic attempts to capture me, but I guess I'm just too smart for the likes of you lumpy, clumpy, clods!

(Peridot starts to laugh again, but is suddenly weighed down by Steven, who has grabbed on to Peridot's foot.)

Nooo...! (Peridot clicks on her foot with one of her fingers, outlining it with a lime greenish glow. It suddenly detaches from the rest of her body, causing Steven, Amethyst, and Pearl to fall. Peridot, now freed, flees. Smoke appears to come out of the hole where Peridot's foot used to be.) (groans) You'll pay for this, Crystal Gems. I'll get you back, just you waaaaait!

(Peridot flies out of sight with smoke emanating from her leg. Steven and the gems look on, dazed. Pearl stands up and looks up towards the sky, with a determined expression. Steven gets up and walks beside her.)